{"id":1504,"date":"2023-05-13T17:16:47","date_gmt":"2023-05-13T17:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/?p=1504"},"modified":"2023-06-17T17:57:48","modified_gmt":"2023-06-17T17:57:48","slug":"a-fire-upon-the-deep-vinge-1992","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/2023\/05\/13\/a-fire-upon-the-deep-vinge-1992\/","title":{"rendered":"A Fire Upon the Deep (Vinge 1992)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230513_164134055-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230513_164134055-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230513_164134055-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230513_164134055-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230513_164134055-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230513_164134055-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I just finished reading <em>A Fire Upon the Deep<\/em> (1992) by Vernor Vinge. I was curious about it because it was highly recommended, but I also (purposefully) didn&#8217;t know much about it to avoid spoilers. This contained a lot of aspects of the classic Western space opera, where an individual (possibly with superhero abilities) or small group of individuals boldly sets out to save the day on their own in a dramatic fashion. I intend the use of Western as a double meaning, both as an outcome of modern individualistic Western culture and for the similarities to classic movie Westerns, but set in space. (However, in stricter current literature categories, this is much more of a space opera than a space Western.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It does have fantasy elements that do not place it in the hard science fiction category. However, this book is exceptionally creative in terms of the &#8220;world&#8221; building. Rather, I should say galaxy building. The galaxy is a structured, complex place and not just a hodgepodge collection of stars, planets, and civilizations. There are also two other species that figure prominently in the story, and the author clearly put a lot of thought into how to design original alien intelligences. Coincidentally, it touches on some points that I explored in a previous post about <a href=\"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/2023\/04\/22\/children-of-memory-tchaikovsky-2023\/\"><em>Children of Memory<\/em><\/a> regarding levels of intelligence, different ways to be intelligent, and if an individual is <em>real<\/em> or not. I&#8217;ll have to stop there to avoid getting into spoiler territory. The book, written in 1992, also anticipated issues of misinformation that have come more to the forefront on the internet in recent years. I&#8217;m putting this one in the recommended category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A minor note, but I wanted to mention the use of &#8220;letters&#8221; at the ends of the chapters that shift, add to, or broaden the perspective. This reminds me of how letters were used in <a href=\"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/2023\/02\/21\/artemis-weir-2017\/\"><em>Artemis<\/em><\/a>, which was written later. I&#8217;m making a mental note to keep a lookout for the use of this type of writing device. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Links: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0812515285\">https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0812515285<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A_Fire_Upon_the_Deep\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A_Fire_Upon_the_Deep<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wordlist (draft to be updated)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Aborning\u2014during birth or while being created. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Actinic\u2014intense light that can burn or cause chemical reactions. Light that includes high-energy ultraviolet light. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adroit\u2014clever and\/or skillful. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alarums\u2014old-fashioned term for alarm.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Antercedant\u2014something that precedes another. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Armiphlage\u2014I am unsure about this one and the next. I can&#8217;t seem to find a definition. Update: This, along with clenirations are made-up words. I found a mention of it here, <a href=\"https:\/\/tropedia.fandom.com\/wiki\/Perfectly_Cromulent_Word\">https:\/\/tropedia.fandom.com\/wiki\/Perfectly_Cromulent_Word<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cannines\u2014I may have made a copying error on this one. It is possibly canniness, showing exceptional judgment. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cantilever\u2014a structural element that projects horizontally and is attached at one end. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Caroming\u2014to hit and rebound off of something. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clerestory\u2014The upper part of a large church that contains a row of smaller windows. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dilettante\u2014someone with a superficial interest in a topic. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dirges\u2014a mournful song or lamentation. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Embrasure\u2014an opening in a wall that is wider on the inside than the outside, usually for a defensive position. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Evanescent\u2014transient; only appears for a moment and then disappears again. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flenser\u2014a person that strips off skin from an animal or cuts blubber from a whale. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Futiveness\u2014sly and sneaky. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jape\u2014a joke. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kenner\u2014a person that knows (kens) things. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kenning\u2014a metaphorical expression that combines two words and is used to describe something poetically. Associated with Old English, Old Norse, and Icelandic. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Largesse\u2014generosity. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lassitude\u2014weary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Merlon\u2014the raised solid section between openings along the top of a fortified wall. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pernicious\u2014a gradual, subtle harmful effect. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Petulant\u2014rude and impatient. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prig\u2014someone that behaves self-righteously. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Raffish\u2014a showy crude manner. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Referent\u2014the particular things that a phrase refers to. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sardonic\u2014mocking in a grim cynical way. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scritching\u2014a light scratching. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sophont\u2014a being with human or human-like intelligence. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Staid\u2014self-restraint, not adventurous. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Susurrus\u2014a faint rustling, murmuring, or whispering sound. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tine\u2014a prong or spike. I felt confident that I knew this one, but it figures prominently in the book, and I wanted to make sure there were not any secondary definitions. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Waldo\u2014something used for remote manipulation. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wistful\u2014longing. I wrote this one down because I was wondering about its word origin, which apparently is not clear. It might be related to whistly, which means quietly. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quote<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;Personally, we take comfort from this, that there is a universe to admire that cannot be twisted to villainy or good, but which simply <em>is<\/em>.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I just finished reading A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) by Vernor Vinge. I was curious about it because it was highly recommended, but I also (purposefully) didn&#8217;t know much about it to avoid spoilers. This contained a lot of aspects of the classic Western space opera, where an individual (possibly with superhero abilities) or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[17,35],"class_list":["post-1504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-literature","tag-book","tag-science-fiction"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230513_164134055-scaled.jpg","views":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1504"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1593,"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1504\/revisions\/1593"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floydsplace.us\/wpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}